Habits of Successful IT Professionals

Posted August 31, 2015byDonna

Humans, by our very nature, are creatures of habit. Some of these habits promote growth and productivity, while other maladaptive habits can serve as obstacles to success. Likewise, it’s imperative that we remain mindful of the habits we develop in order to secure fruitful, fulfilling futures for ourselves. In the fast-paced, highly competitive world of IT, positive habit formation is especially important to professionals trying to gain traction in their industry. Today, we’ll look at a few habits common to exceptional members of the IT workforce.

They Seek Knowledge

In accordance with Moore’s Law, information technology won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Technologies that were cutting edge just a few years ago will be obsolete in a few more. That’s why the best and brightest in the industry get that way by reading extensively and learning from those who came before them. There are myriad continuing education and certification opportunities in the IT industry, and they exist for a reason. Put them to good use whenever possible.

They Collaborate

Productive IT professionals might love to learn, but they don’t hoard all that information for themselves. Rather, they’re eager to spread it around and share it with their fellow coworkers. They recognize that, in the long run, this collaborative effort will make everyone’s jobs easier. This way, if and when a mistake is made, there will be more opportunities for it to be recognized and remedied by the team.

They Practice Big Picture Thinking

Many positions in the IT field demand intense attention to detail. For newcomers to the industry, it can be easy to get bogged down in minutiae and lose sight of the end goal. More experienced IT professionals are able to keep a clear head and leverage their creativity to consider alternate routes that can circumvent confounding problems. Being detail oriented is a valuable skill, but being able to step back and reevaluate is every bit as important as well.

They Generalize Their Skills

This is the habit that will likely take the longest to develop. Typically, people enter into the IT industry with fairly specialized skillsets. There’s nothing wrong with this, but strictly adhering to that skillset is going to impede your growth in the future. Learn how your initial skillset fits into the larger ecosystem of your team, and find ways to expand your expertise to other, tangentially related fields.

Here at CSS, we know what it takes to achieve success in this thriving industry. Give us a call, or browse our job listings online today, and take the first step toward advancing your career in IT.